Powering Through: A Sequel to Learning To Swim For Real

Chapter 17: Together

The rest of the day had passed in the most wonderful, warm blur for Kelsey. She couldn't remember the last time she'd felt so comfortable and loved. Even at her parents' house in Iowa she didn't feel this level of acceptance; she'd been absent too long, traveled too far and wide. They loved her, and loved to have her there, but it was no longer her home.

After the meal, everyone cleaned up together, an assembly line of Tupperware, Saran Wrap, and trips to the freezer in the garage. The dishwasher was loaded up and started, with another load soaking in the sink for the next round.

Then it was a quick game of soccer in the front yard, where Kelsey held her own, and back in the house to get the Christmas decorations out of storage for his parents to put up at their leisure in the coming weeks.

Then everyone gathered in the family room to watch Die Hard, Raiders of the Lost Ark, and home movies of the LaGuardia clan.

"I don't think I've ever been more attracted to you than I am right at this moment," Kelsey said to Jack after watching him stuff an entire hot dog in his mouth in one bite and face the camera to chew it with his mouth open. He looked about fifteen years old.

"Great, now she's going to break up with me, and it's going to be all your fault," Jack said to the room at large.

"Please, baby bro, she must've known how disgusting you were before today," Jeremy said, throwing a pretzel at Jack's head.

"And on that note,"Jack said, pulling Kelsey to her feet, "we're going to say good night."

"Good night," Kelsey called as they climbed the stairs.

"Jack, I'm not even sleepy," she complained as he shut the door. "It's way too early to go to bed, it's barely ten o'clock--"

"Who said anything about going to bed?" Jack asked as he swung her around and pressed her against the door, leaning in to kiss her, cutting her words off.

"Mm, you taste like wine and chocolate," he murmured, stopping to look at her for a moment before kissing her again. He greedily put his mouth on hers, licking into her mouth over and over to taste her. His hands found her waist, fingers digging into her soft, smooth flesh as he held her hips against the wall.

"Jack, can we--can we do this here?" Kelsey asked. "I mean, what if your family comes up to bed? Won't they hear?"

Jack smiled at her, lifted her sweater over her head, and smiled at her again, shaking his head. "First, I'm at the end of the house, so that's an outside wall." He began unbuttoning her blouse, leaning in to leave a trail of kisses as he opened it up. "Second, the bathroom's on that side," he nodded in the other direction.

He slid her blouse off her shoulders, running his hands down her front as he went down on his knees to kiss her tummy. "Third," he began as he unbuttoned and unzipped her pants, sliding them down as she lifted her legs to help him. "Oh, god," he groaned softly as he leaned in to inhale the fragrance of her, breathing warm air on her that she could feel all the way to her toes. "I wish I could just breathe this smell forever, Kelsey, I swear." And he pressed his face into her, biting at the cotton fabric of her undies as she sagged against the door, her fingers digging into his scalp.

"Third?" she whispered.

"Hm?"

"You said there was a third..." she let out a breath as he moved her underwear to the side to taste her moist folds.

"Nnn, you taste amazing, and I don't remember," Jack murmured. As he rose, he pulled Kelsey forward over his shoulder, making her let out a squeak that probably no one heard because hopefully they were all still downstairs. He walked the few steps to the bed with her over his shoulder, and gently lowered her onto it, crawling on top of her after to rest his weight on her.